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Contains sustained terrorisation and strong violenceMove aside Norman Bates, Vacancy promises some real motel hell. Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale are bickering everycouple David and Amy, who check into a deserted backwoods motel only to discover they're about to take starring roles in a real life snuff movie. Locking us in their room and turning off the lights, Hungarian director Nimrod Antal (Kontroll) winds up the tension. Then he just winds us up, as Vacancy completely cops out.
After their car breaks down somewhere off the interstate, David and Amy check into the Pinewood Hotel. The manager (Frank Whaley, World Trade Center) is a little weird and there's cockroaches between the sheets, but what's more disturbing is the snuff movie they find in the VCR. Shot on cameras hidden in their room, and featuring past guests getting snuffed by masked intruders, the tape suggests that David and Amy are going to check out sooner than expected...
"WATERED DOWN STUDIO SCHLOCK"
Vacancy scores points early on by ignoring the usual safety zones. Antal piles on the suspense with an expert's touch, even coaxing a panting, panicked performance from Beckinsale. Best of all is the helmer's willingness to drag the grubby spirit of '80s video nasties into the sanitised, air-conditioned confines of the multiplex. His grainy snuff showreels - movies within the movie we never get a proper look at - are disturbingly authentic, hinting that Vacancy might be much darker than expected. Of course, it's a red herring and it's not long before Antal's nerve fails him with a spectacular switchback that will have any self-respecting horror fan screaming (at the screen, in disgust). Be warned: this is watered down studio schlock for audiences who like their horror motels to come with a "Please Do Not Disturb" sign.
Vacancy is released in UK cinemas on Friday 15th June 2007.
Kate Beckinsale's sweat does all her acting.
